TOKYO, Jan 6 — A 6.2-magnitude earthquake shook the coast of western Japan today, the country’s meteorological office said, with no tsunami warning issued.
The tremor was recorded at 10.18am (9.18am Malaysia time) in Shimane prefecture, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
There were no reports of any major damage.
The US Geological Survey recorded a slightly lower 5.8 magnitude reading.
The quake measured upper five on Japan’s Shindo scale of shakiness in the western city of Yasugi.
At that level, heavy furniture may fall and drivers may have trouble steering.
The JMA said that the same region was hit soon afterwards by smaller quakes with magnitudes of 4.5, 5.1, 3.8 and 5.4, with no tsunami alerts issued.
Japan sits on top of four major tectonic plates along the western edge of the Pacific “Ring of Fire” and is one of the world’s most seismically active countries.
The archipelago, home to around 125 million people, experiences around 1,500 jolts every year.
The vast majority are mild, although the damage they cause varies according to their location and depth below the Earth’s surface. — AFP
